Academy Adventures
by The Vigilant Sleeper
Summary: Prowl and Jazz's adventures, or rather misadventures, at the Autobot Academy. Fun, silliness, and lots of embarrassment for poor Prowl. Written mostly from Prowl's viewpoint. Possible future slash, but nothing graphic. Other main characters include Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Drift.
1. Roommates

_Part 1: Roommates_

Prowl had moved into the campus dorms a week before classes began, excited and anxious to be starting a new chapter in his life. He waited and waited for his roommate to arrive, and Jazz did, just a day before the new semester of classes started. Prowl was not especially enthusiastic about having to share a room with anybot; he had always valued his space and quiet time. But he figured the most logical thing to do would be to make the best of the situation. He was rather unprepared, however, for a roommate as outgoing and lively as Jazz.

The first thing Jazz did when he met Prowl was tackle him. Well, he didn't actually intend to tackle him, it just ended up that way, much to Prowl's embarrassment. Jazz entered their room for the first time and caught Prowl by surprise, and before the unsuspecting bot could even turn around Jazz rushed up and gave him a giant hug from behind.

"HI THERE ROOMMATE!"

Prowl was so shocked from the energetic greeting that he fell forward onto his recharge bunk, taking Jazz down with him. He was rather confused for a few seconds, and to make things worse his neighbors looked in to see what all the commotion was about. When they saw Prowl laying face down on the recharge bunk with Jazz sprawled on top of him, they burst out laughing and returned to their own rooms.

Jazz immediately got off Prowl and apologized. "Sorry mech, didn't mean to scare ya like that!"

Prowl turned over and stood up. "Umm…no prob-"

"Hey! What's this?" Jazz suddenly inquired about one of the ornaments on Prowl's desk. He picked it up and started turning it over in his hands. "Sure is pretty!"

"Be careful with that please!" Prowl rushed over to Jazz's side and elegantly took the trinket out of his hands. "It's a crystal from the gardens of Praxus, my creators bought it for me. It's very fragile," he said as he placed it back on the desk.

"So you're from Praxus? Cool, mech. Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"…Okay."

"Are doorwings really sensitive?"

Prowl stared nervously, not sure whether he should be more concerned about how to answer or what this new mech's intentions were once he got an answer.

"…Why are you asking?"

"Because it's one of those things I've always wondered about, ya know?"

"…"

"I'm not going to touch 'em! I'm just curious!"

"…Yes, they are."

"Wow! So it's true! Hey, can I ask ya another question?"

"You don't need to ask every time if you can ask me a question," Prowl said pointedly.

"Oh, okay. Well, do ya think ya could help me haul my stuff up? It's all still downstairs."

Prowl was just relieved it wasn't another question about his body. "Yes, I will help you."


	2. Settling In

_Part 2_**: **_Settling In_**  
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It was well past midnight when Prowl and Jazz had finally hauled up all of Jazz's belongings and got them settled among Prowl's things in the rather tiny dorm room. The room had seemed roomy and organized when only Prowl's belongings had occupied it, but now it felt more like any typical academy dorm room; slightly crowded but having that "lived in" feeling.

Prowl sat down heavily on his recharge bunk and looked around the room as Jazz finished setting up his entertainment center.

_Does he really think he will need all of these things while he's here? _Prowl thought while looking over the entertainment center, which consisted of a rather large monitor screen, a movie player, a gaming system, several storage units of datapads containing various music files, and rather large and bulky surround sound speakers. Jazz noticed his roommate glancing his way and let out a little chuckle.

"I know it looks like a lot, but really these are only 'bout half of my music files. And the speakers are my old ones, I have a much bigger an' better set back at home!"

Prowl raised an optic ridge. "Really? That's…interesting."

Jazz finished up and plopped down into his lounge chair. "Yeah, I sure love my music. What 'bout you? What do you love?"

Prowl thought for a moment. Every other mech he had spoken to on campus literally laughed when he said his greatest interest was becoming a Law Enforcement Officer. It was true that dedication to his studies had taken up a great amount of his time in the past, and it was also true that that didn't bother Prowl; in fact he loved excelling in his classes and learning. But he really wanted to get off to a good start with Jazz, considering that he would be spending at least the next semester at the academy living with him, so he desperately tried to think of something that would seem more "cool" to a bot like Jazz.

"Well, I…I love to do a lot of things…like," his processor desperately searched for a reasonable but truthful answer, "…like reading. I love reading all types of databooks…" he trailed off, realizing that reading probably was not much cooler than studying.

"Aw, that's nice. Ya do seem a little like the databook-worm type." When Prowl looked a bit disappointed at his remark, Jazz cheerfully added "An' I don't mean you any offense by that. Everyone's entitled to what they love ta do, as long as it don't hurt anybot! I think it's cool if ya love to read."

Prowl was surprised by Jazz's positive outlook, and was about to reply when they both heard a series of thumps through the wall. Apparently, their very late-night conversation was keeping others from recharging, and tomorrow was the first day of classes.

"Well, I guess that's our cue to go into recharge mode!" Jazz said as he began climbing the ladder up to his bunk above Prowl's. Once he was safely up Prowl got up and walked across the room to turn off the light.

"G'night Prowler!"

"Good night Ja...wait, what?"

"I said, 'G'night, Prowler!'"

Prowl paused at the sudden unwarranted change of his name. Jazz must have misheard him earlier when they introduced themselves to each other.

"My name is Prowl, not Prowler," Prowl politely corrected Jazz.

"I know, but we're roommates! We're supposed to have nicknames for each other! So, from now on, you're Prowler."

"Um…" Prowl decided it would be best to wait until morning to argue further with Jazz about his name since another series of thumps sounded on the wall, louder and more impatient this time. He lay down in his recharge bunk and pulled the thin cover over his frame.

"Good night Jazz," he said, but once he said it Prowl realized Jazz didn't hear him, as Jazz was already snoring through his vents in deep recharge.


	3. First Impressions

_Part 3: First Impressions_

Prowl was excited. He was also tired from staying up so late last night helping Jazz move in, but his excitement outweighed his tiredness. Today was his first day of classes at the Academy, and he was going to make the most of having a clean slate to work with. He had already read the first chapters of all his databooks and taken notes on the highlights. He had also taken the time to locate the rooms for all his classes a few days ago, so he would have no delays locating them when it counted. He checked and re-checked his supplies in his subspace pack– blank datapads, a stylus, electronic planner, databooks, a cube of energon for between classes…yep, it was all there.

By the time Prowl set off for his first class he was exuberant; although he was sure to keep a calm and collected outward demeanor. First impressions are very important, after all. He did not want to appear unfocused to any of his professors. As he walked across the campus, he politely nodded or said hello to some of the bots he happened to make optic contact with, especially those who were clearly professors.

He approached the building his first class was in and entered. Prowl was especially excited about this class – Introduction to Cybertronian Law. Although he was sure he knew most of the course material already, this class was the first step toward his dream of becoming a Law Enforcement Officer, so he was determined to do well and impress the instructor.

As Prowl quietly walked through the hallways he reminisced the day he decided he wanted to fight crime, even though it happened so long ago, when he was just a little sparkling. It had been occupation day at his sparkling school, and Law Enforcer Kup had many interesting stories to tell about his adventures. Although most of the other sparklings got bored of his long stories, Prowl was captivated by them. After all the guest speakers for the day had finished, Prowl had sought out Kup and asked him to tell more of his stories. He remembered Kup smiling and patting him on the helm, saying to the class teacher, "This one's gonna go far, just wait and see. He's got spark; I could tell the minute I set my optics on 'em!" From that day forward it was Prowl's dream to become a Law Enforcement Officer.

Prowl arrived at the classroom and glanced inside before stepping in and finding a seat. He chose the first seat he came across, a front row seat with the door of the room off to his left. As the time for the class to start approached, the room filled up with bots of various shapes and sizes. A pretty looking femme smiled a friendly smile at him as she took the seat next to Prowl's.

"You don't mind if I take this seat, do you?"

"No, not at all," Prowl said, glancing back at the other rows of seats, most of which were already full. "It's doesn't look like you have many other options," he said with a light smile. He had no idea this class would be so full.

"I'm Moonracer," the green and white femme introduced herself, offering her hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you," Prowl took her hand and gently shook it once, "I'm Prowl."

Just then the professor came in and stood expectantly in the front of the room. He was hunched over slightly; his misaligned frame told of his old age. As soon as the conversations that had filled the room quieted down he began speaking.

"Good morning, class," He said with his gruff vocalizer, "My name is Alpha Trion, and I'll be your instructor for Introduction to Cybertronian Law. Now, if you could all get out a blank data pad, I'll transmit to you the class syllabus; we'll go over that first so you know what I'll be expecting of you throughout this semester."

Prowl diligently got out a blank data pad, when he suddenly was distracted by an odd sound.

"Psssssst!"

Prowl looked around, not knowing what the sound was.

"Prowl! Out here!" Someone said to him in a shout-whisper.

Prowl looked to his left out the door and saw the form of Jazz standing just outside the threshold of the door. When Jazz saw he had Prowl's attention he waved at him.

"Hey buddy!" Jazz cupped a hand to his mouth and spoke in a shout-whisper once more. He was not alone, on his left and right appeared two mechs taller than Jazz, one red and the other yellow.

Prowl was surprised and distracted by his roommate's sudden appearance, but not for long.

"I see someone is already bored of my class," Alpha Trion said pointedly and then paused. Prowl snapped back into focus, feeling embarrassed that he had already lost concentration and disrespected his professor. He chastened himself for losing concentration so easily.

"As I was saying, my class will not be an easy grade. Although most of you are probably taking my class only as a general education class, what you will be learning…"

As he was listening to Alpha Trion's lecture, Prowl saw rapid movement from the corner of his optic, and without moving his helm glanced to the left to see what it was.

He was stupefied when he saw the red bot Jazz was with mocking the professor, mouthing the words he was saying to the class and hunching over. He was also crossing his optics, which looked ridiculous but was apparently very amusing to Jazz and the other mech. Both of them were trying their best to stifle their laughter, Jazz holding a hand over his mouth and waving his arm at the red mech to stop, the yellow mech grinning wildly and bending over his knees from containing his laughter.

"Friends of yours, I assume?"

Prowl was startled when he realized Alpha Trion was directly addressing him. He was embarrassed when he realized the entire class was staring at him in an awkward silence. And he was horrified when one of the unknown mechs from the hallway broke the silence and vocalized, "Hey Prowl! Enjoy your exciting law class!" Then all three mechs dashed away, no longer able to stifle their laughter.

Prowl's optics darted around the room, unsure of where to rest. Alpha Trion walked slowly over to the door and shut it.

"I do not appreciate a lack of self discipline in any of my students," he said on his way back from the door. "So, Prowl is your name?"

"…Yes." He did his best to sound respectful, but he already knew his chance at making a good first impression had been ruined.

"Well then, Prowl, I will be expecting a report from you on the subject of why self discipline is a necessary and important characteristic of those involved in the Cybertronian legal system. It is due at the end of the week. And may this be an example to everyone else that I will not tolerate disrespect in my class. Now, back to the syllabus…"

Prowl unenthusiastically wrote a note in his electronic planner about the report, and also wrote a note to ask Jazz who the mysterious mechs were who caused him this great humiliation.


	4. New Experiences

_Part 4: New Experiences_

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were their names, and from what Prowl could tell they were trouble waiting to happen. Jazz properly introduced them to him when Prowl came back to the dorm after his classes were done for the day; it turned out they lived just a few rooms down the hall from his and Jazz's. Prowl was about to give the twins an angry lecturing about how much trouble they had caused him during his law class, until Jazz cut in.

"Hey, what are we all doin' standing around here for? Sunstreaker, lead us to that place you were talking about earlier!"

"Yeah bro! Show us!" Sideswipe enthusiastically added. With that the twins and Jazz raced down the dorm building's stairs, with a still angry Prowl following and determined to not get left behind. When he exited the building, Prowl saw that the trio had already transformed and was on the move. He sighed through his vents, transformed and revved his engine to catch up.

"Jazz, where's this place Sunstreaker's talking about?" He asked once he caught up. "Why are we hanging out with _them _anyway?"

"Aww, common Prowl! These two are buddies of mine, we go way back! I'm sure you'll learn to like 'em," Jazz said to Prowl as the group of four drove along the highway.

Prowl silently doubted Jazz's comment and asked, "So, where exactly are they leading us?"

"Not sure, but Sideswipe and Sunstreaker always know where the best places to hang out are. I'm sure we're going to be in for a fun night of partying!"

Prowl's insides lurched when Jazz mentioned the dreaded "p" word: _party_. He had never enjoyed attending big social gatherings; he just wasn't the extremely social type. His engine revved low in annoyance. He would have turned around and went back to the dorm to start writing his report, if that would not make him look so stand-offish. Despite the fact that Prowl knew he wasn't good at social gatherings, he had made a deal with himself before the school year began to try and make a friend or two, and if he ditched Jazz and his friends now he may lose that opportunity. Maybe this could turn out to be a good thing…

After a while Sunstreaker exited the highway and took a series of turns, leading them to a rather sub-par looking building on the edge of the city. Neon lights of all colors rimmed the doors and blockishly spelled out "The Dancing Turbofox." The building appeared to have once been a much better kept place, but was now degrading and looking in need of some aesthetic maintenance. Loud music could be heard from within, and numerous mechs and femmes went into and came out of the dance club. Right away Prowl could tell they were not the type he usually associated with.

They all transformed and headed toward the building, Prowl following reluctantly behind. Jazz saw his look of hesitance and wrapped an enthusiastic arm around his shoulders, pulling him up between himself and Sideswipe. "Relax Prowler, we're here to have fun!"

"Yeah, and I'm sure _you _need to relax after that boring two hour law class today!" Sideswipe poked at Prowl's side.

Prowl felt like barring his dental plating at the obnoxious mech and growling at him. He didn't, of course, but the image flashed briefly in his processor before disappearing, being replaced by his usual cool and collected demeanor.

They entered the building and went straight for the bar. Prowl was the only one to order regular energon instead of high-grade, but it didn't bother him. He took pride in the fact that he didn't find getting over-energized as possible an enjoyable activity; the last thing he wanted was to lose his situational awareness and possibly make a fool of himself.

The group eventually found an empty table and sat down. Music pulsed around them and bots danced to the rhythm, their figures made shadowy by the low lighting, metal glinting and reflecting when hit at the right angles. Prowl looked around the room, took a slow drink from his cube, stared at his energon for a while, then surveyed the room again as Jazz and Sideswipe chatted beside him. Sunstreaker had already gotten up from their table and found a dance partner for the night; a rather hansom indigo-blue mech with a red face and an intricate symbol of flames painted on his chest plating. Even from a distance it was clear the two were flirting with each other.

"Hey Prowler," Jazz gently elbowed Prowl to get his attention, "That attractive white mech over there has been checkin' you out for a while now. Why don't 'cha go talk to 'em! I think he likes you!"

Prowl nervously glanced to where Jazz was indicating. The white mech was casually leaning on the bar, loosely holding a cube in his hand and swirling its contents. He was obviously a foreigner. His frame was different than any Prowl had seen before; angular but sleek, giving an impression of swift strength. He was mostly white, with some red accents. Indeed, he was very attractive and unique looking, and was staring straight at Prowl with intense blue optics.

Prowl was struck with apprehension and looked back at Jazz. "No way. There's no way I can just to talk to him. He's so…"

"Exotically delicious," Sideswipe finished his sentence for him and gulped down the remainder of his high-grade. "If you won't go talk to him, I gladly will," he continued, his optics transfixed on the frame of the white mech as he spoke.

"No you won't Sides! Common Prowl, I'll go with you," and before he could protest Prowl was being dragged by the arm over to his mysterious admirer.

"No Jazz! Stop!" Prowl mumbled his protests to Jazz as he tried to escape his grip. "I really think that this is a bad-"

Prowl was cut off as they approached the stranger and Jazz introduced them. Of course, Jazz had to introduce them in a way Prowl found most embarrassing.

"Hey there! I couldn't help but notice you noticing my friend Prowl here, and since he's kinda shy I thought I'd bring him over to meet ya."

Any other mech would have given some reaction – a nervous laugh, a frown, a big grin, _anything_ – but the white and red mech seemed so unfazed by Jazz's introduction that Prowl wondered if he had even heard.

As Jazz left he looked back and smiled at his buddy, and Prowl was fairly certain that even though he couldn't see Jazz's optics through his visor, Jazz had winked at him. Prowl sighed. Now that he was here, he might as well talk to this mysterious admirer of his.

"So…what's your name?"

Now that Jazz was gone the mech did let a tiny smirk appear on his faceplates, although Prowl wasn't sure if it was meant to be friendly or intimidating. "Name's Drift," the mech said and took a sip from his cube, then set it down on the bar as he took a seat.

Prowl sat on the empty bar stool next to him. "You don't look like you're from around here. Are you a student at the Academy?"

He shook his head slightly. "No. I'm studying under the supervision of the Academy's director of the martial arts department, but not as an official student." Drift seemed laid back enough in the conversation that Prowl was put at ease a bit.

"That's interesting. I've never heard of a teacher doing that before."

"Yeah, well…" he gave a shallow shrug. "I guess he thinks I have potential, so he offered to teach me. What about you? "

"First year student, studying to be a law enforcement officer."

This small talk wasn't so bad. Prowl was starting to like this Drift, he seemed to just want to chat after all. Prowl had assumed that all the mechs in a place like this would only talk to him if they had ulterior motives in their processors; using distasteful pick up lines and flattery to try reeling him into their scheme. Such an occurrence had happened to him before, and Prowl never needed to make a mistake more than once to learn from it. He was pleasantly surprised by the charisma of this mech. They chatted together for quite a while, and Prowl was gaining confidence.

…Until he suddenly felt the foreigner's hand start to gently caress his lower back.

Prowl's whole frame tensed at the touch. He seemed frozen in place, not able to calculate what to do next. Although he didn't mind talking to Drift, he hadn't come here tonight to meet a romantic partner, and he certainly didn't want to be tricked into anything. The hand continued its slow ascending and descending movements, making his sensors tingle with anxiety, worry, and….excitement? Yes, Prowl had to admit to himself – no matter how much he didn't want to – that having such an attractive mech as Drift touching him and giving him attention was rather…stimulating, to say the least.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Drift obviously saw Prowl freeze up at his touch and removed his hand. "I guess you're friend was right, you really are shy," he added in a slightly amused tone.

Prowl inwardly scoffed. _Shy? _He was not _shy,_ bots who are _shy _are not cut out to become law enforcement officers. He was just…not a touchy-feely super-social kind of bot.

"It's okay," Drift continued when Prowl did not respond, "I think it's nice being around someone who's not constantly begging for attention."

Prowl's processor was straining to find a way to gently let Drift know he wasn't looking for a relationship right now. Although, Drift did seem nice enough, maybe he should give it a try. It wasn't every day he had someone as… _charming_ as Drift aiming for his attention. He had barely thought of the possibility when suddenly it seemed like every bot in the place rushed to the center of the dance floor.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The mostly over-energized crowd began chanting in unison.

Things started happening faster than Prowl could comprehend after that. He was roughly pushed off his seat by someone, and for a brief time could only see peds of all different sizes and colors running by. By the time he got back up the place was so crowded he could no longer see Drift; he had probably been shoved away from the bar as well. It seemed bots were pouring in from outside the dance club to see the fight that broke out on the dance floor. In that instant he decided that he had had enough excitement for one night. Prowl did the best he could to make it to the exit.

Once outside he quickly transformed and squealed his tires as he sped away. Bots were still rushing into the building from the street to see what all the commotion was about.

"Hey Prowl! Wait up!" Jazz's voice rang out from behind him. When Prowl slowed down and turned to look, he saw Jazz and the twins catching up to him.

"Let's boogie outa' here!" Sideswipe said just as law enforcement sirens could be heard in the distance. The group of four sped along until they reached the highway, then slowed their pace to normal.

"Wow, that was a close one hu!" Sunstreaker said.

"Almost a little too close if ya ask me! Good thing we got out of there when we did," Jazz added.

Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Jazz bantered back and forth all the way back to the dorm about different subjects; who danced with the hottest bot, how good the drinks were, how they should go back sometime for more fun, and so on.

Prowl had too much on his processor to join in the conversation, nor did he have very much to say for the rest of the night.


	5. Tricksters

_Part 5: Tricksters_

Prowl had only two classes the next day. Once he finished them he decided it would be a good time to do his report for Cybertronian Law that was due at the end of the week. He entered the library, found an empty data terminal to sit at and began typing.

It did not take him too long to finish the report, as he had always been very efficient at making detailed reports in half the time it would take any other bot. It was late afternoon, so he stopped at the little café in the data library lobby for a cube of energon.

As he sipped his drink, he looked around at his surroundings. This data library was much more impressive than the one at his primary school's establishment. Not only was it better organized, but it also held more datapads than he expected, and the data terminal lab where he had just finished his report was also very impressive, with at least fifty terminals available. Prowl relaxed in his chair and let his thoughts go wherever they wanted. Eventually his thoughts drifted to last night and how things almost got out of hand at the dance club.

He was no longer upset about what happened, although he was not happy he almost got trampled by the crowd of over-energized bots anxious to see the fight. Although Jazz, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe were quite a bit more outgoing than Prowl, they were not bad bots to be around, as far as Prowl could tell anyway. They may be a bit restless and prone to some harmless trouble, but maybe he could find a way around that so they all could be friends. Just the idea of Prowl having a group of friends like those three made him laugh inwardly. He had always been the aloof one in is school, never really having a base of friends to go to. Perhaps that would change this year.

Finishing his cube, he placed it in the recycling unit nearby and exited the data library, heading towards the dorm building. He was hoping Jazz would be there so he could talk to him, maybe get to know him better. Prowl was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't realize when someone said hello to him.

Prowl looked to his right to see Drift walking next to him, looking at him with a rather pleased expression on his face. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"…Oh. I didn't either…How are you Drift?" Prowl was at a loss for words.

"I just finished a martial arts lesson. Do you want to get some energon together?"

"Actually, I just had some. I was heading back to the dormitories to talk to a friend."

"Oh," If Drift felt disappointed by the soft rejection, he did a good job of hiding it. "One of those mechs you were with at the dance club last night?"

"Yes. The one who introduced me to you – Jazz – he's my roommate."

"Speaking of last night, are you okay? I was going to help you up after that over-energized gearhead of a mech pushed you down, but with all those bots flocking in I couldn't reach you."

"Yes, I'm fine." Prowl unconsciously twitched his doorwings; he was a bit flattered that Drift had remembered him and hadn't just disappeared, like he had previously thought. "It takes a little more than a push to keep me down," Prowl managed to lightly smile.

"Oh really?" Drift grinned, "Maybe you could spar with me sometime," Drift smiled back at him. "I do need someone to practice martial arts with away from my lessons. Not many bots I've spoken to are willing to…I guess my reputation precedes me. But I promise to go easy on you, at least at first."

Prowl was thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps sometime, that could be fun." He paused and then asked, "Drift, would you like to come with me to the dorms? I'm sure the others would like to meet you." Immediately after he said it Prowl realized Drift probably had much better things to do; why would he want to come hang out at his boring dormitory? He probably sounded stupid even offering.

"Sure," Drift said with a smile, and Prowl's self doubt subsided. "I didn't have anything planned for the rest of the day anyway."

Surprised and rather happy with the situation, Prowl led his new friend to the dorms and up to his and Jazz's shared room. When they got there, Prowl almost turned around and went back out, thinking he must have entered the wrong room by mistake. It looked so different! But he knew it must be the correct room because Jazz was there, standing on a desk and positioning a poster on the wall.

The two new mechs glanced around the room, taking in the bright varying colors of posters – posters everywhere! Mostly posters of various musicians of sorts, others of the most popular new movies. There were a few posters of rather attractive studly looking mechs, posing this way and that, which made Prowl a little uneasy as he had always been the very modest type who never looked at such…suggestive art of any sort.

"Uh, hey Jazz," Prowl said a little unsurely. "What are you doing?"

Jazz didn't turn to acknowledge his roommate as he said, "Just decorating the place a little! It was so bland before, I couldn't stand it. Now with a little color it feels less like a prison, don'tcha think?" He finished putting up the poster he was working on and turned to see Prowl standing with the attractive white mech from the dance club next to him. "Hey! You brought your friend!"

Drift casually waved. "Hi, Jazz. My name's Drift."

"Nice ta meet ya, Drift." Jazz smiled as Prowl and Drift entered the room.

Prowl immediately took the responsibility of being a good host and offered Drift a cube of energon from the small storage unit, which Drift thanked him for and began sipping at it. The three mechs settled in the room and chatted for a while, and to Prowl everything seemed to be going great. Then Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, who could both be heard bickering down the hallway long before they came into view, entered the room as well.

"Hey Jazz! Prowl! And-oh, hel-lo," Sideswipe immediately noticed and recognized Drift, although he had not been introduced to him the night before.

Sunstreaker elbowed Sideswipe hard in the abdomen in a comedic fashion. "Primus Sides, you're awful." Sideswipe mock pouted in response. Sunstreaker looked to Prowl. "Hey Prowl, Sides and I have something to show you, mind coming over for a minute?"

Prowl blinked in surprise. What could they possibly want to show him? It sounded like a trick of some sort, and his facial plating conveyed his apprehension.

"It's just for a minute! We found something we thought you should have. Common," he turned and walked down the hall toward his and Sideswipe's room, Sideswipe following after taking one last glance at Drift.

Prowl sighed. _Guess it wouldn't hurt to just go see whatever it is they're talking about, _he thought.

"Sorry, you don't mind do you?" He asked Drift, who shook his head. He and Jazz seemed to be getting along just fine, so Prowl got up and followed the twins.

"I won't be long, just a few minutes," he said as he left.

Prowl walked down the hall and came to the twin's room, finding Sideswipe lounging on the bottom bunk and Sunstreaker leaning against the wall talking in a hushed voice to him. When Prowl entered the room Sunny turned to him.

"Hey, catch," He said before tossing something to Prowl.

Acting solely on the fact that if he didn't catch whatever was tossed to him it would probably hit him in the face, Prowl caught it. When he lowered his hands to actually see what he had caught, his optics widened and he literally gasped as he let go of it and let it fall to the floor.

"HAHAHA!" Both twins burst out laughing.

"Please tell me that you got his expression!"

"I did! Take a look!" Sidwswipe held up a holophoto image of Prowl's expression of surprised repulsion and mortification as he realized he was holding…a rather large and elaborately colored false spike.

"HAHAHAAA!" The twins continued laughing it up as Prowl's expression turned to anger. He ground his denta as he left the room in a huff.

He entered his room more briskly than he meant to, causing Drift and Jazz to cease their conversation suddenly and look at him. He sat down on his bunk and tried to look unflustered.

"Hey buddy," Jazz started, "What'd they have ta show ya?"

"Nothing, just…uh nothing." Prowl looked everywhere except at Jazz or Drift. "What were we talking ab-"

Just then the twins burst into the room again, still laughing, though not as blatantly as before.

"Jazz, JAZZ! Ha, you have to see this holophoto!"

Prowl felt like all the energon in his frame emptied out his feet as he went cold with embarrassment.

"No!" He rushed up to the twins and attempted to take the holoform device from them. "It's nothing!"

The twins, both of whom were just a bit taller than Prowl, proceeded to play a game of keep-away with the device. When they held it with their arms stretched over their helms, Prowl just barely couldn't reach it.

"Jazz, catch it!" Sides effectively tossed the device to him, Prowl just missing grabbing it out of the air.

"No Jazz, please don't," Prowl pleaded with his optics, but it was already too late. Jazz had the holoform device in his hands and was looking at the screen.

"Uh," the corners of Jazz's mouth plating threatened to curl up into a smile, and it became obvious he was straining not to laugh, "that was…hm…a mean thing ta do ta..uhm..Prowl here…"

"You know it's funny! I can see it through that visor!"

"Hmm…Yeah maybe for one 'f us it's funny," he pushed a few buttons on the device and gave it back to the twins, "But, be nice to Prowl mechs, he's not used to your sense 'f humor!" Jazz said through suppressed giggles.

Sideswipe looked at the holoform device in his hands. "Hey! You deleted it!"

"JAZZ! It was just a little fun! And..his expression!" Both twins couldn't help but start laughing anew as they started off down the hallway to their own room again.

Prowl inwardly sighed with relief. He didn't expect Jazz to do such a nice thing, in fact he expected him to laugh it up with the twins as well. He would have to thank him later for deleting it before Drift saw it.

"Those two can be crazy, ya just get used to it after a while," Jazz said.

"Don't know if I could get used to it," Drift said, leaning back in the desk chair he occupied. "They seem like trouble to me."

Prowl smiled as their conversation resumed. He had a lot to learn while at the academy, but he hoped lessons such as this from the twins would be kept to a minimum.


	6. Thoughts in Prowl's Processor

_Part 6: Thoughts in Prowl's Processor_

Prowl and Drift sat down on one of the benches that lined the walls of the gigantic gymnasium, each venting hard after a sparring session. It had been a few weeks since Prowl had first met him, but he and Drift were getting along well. At first it was tough being Drift's sparring partner – Drift was _incredibly_ quick, and could deliver a series of attacks that could take down a bot within a few nanoclicks. But, as the initial shock of his advanced ability wore off, and as Drift showed Prowl how to properly block and counteract his attacks, their sparring matches became more fun, and Prowl actually looked forward to them.

Prowl was anything but ignorant – it had been obvious at the dance club that Drift had taken a liking to him for his appearance and somewhat quiet demeanor, but usually just a few minutes of conversation turned other bots off to him because he was so reserved. Yet Drift knew Prowl and his modest personality quite well by now, and here he was, still wanting to spend time with him, and actually taking the time to _teach _him martial arts so he could spar with _him_. There were plenty of other bots out there Drift could spar with – many of which wouldn't have to be taught how to pick a stance, defend their space, use defensive maneuvers and deliver effective attacks. In the back of Prowl's processor he thought about this more frequently than he would actually like to, and it worried him. Drift was putting forth a great amount of effort to get to know him better, which must mean he was _very _interested in him. Just how much longer would it be before Prowl would have to face the possibilities he had been fearing for a large portion of his young adulthood? _How would he react if Drift kissed him? What if he didn't like it? What if he _did_ like it? What would happen next? And…what if he ended up getting his spark broken?_

"You're getting quicker," Drift interrupted Prowl's thoughts, "You actually had me trying to think of new strategies to use to get through your barrier this time. Not many bots – besides my instructor, of course – can do that." He took a gulp of energon from his cube.

Prowl couldn't help but feel a little accomplished with this compliment. "Thanks, I have been trying my best." He took a drink from his cube as well.

After both bots finished their cubes and rested a few more minutes, they made their way to the exit. Drift said goodbye, transformed and headed toward the highway to drive home, and Prowl slowly walked to his dorm building, his processor mulling over his growing friendship with Drift.

* * *

><p>Prowl spent the next several hours studying and finishing some assignments for his classes. Jazz wasn't home – Prowl often found he had the room to himself in the evenings when Jazz would go out to dance clubs or music lounges with friends. He often invited Prowl, and a few times he went, but usually Jazz ended up running into so many other bots he knew that Prowl would end up fading into the background not knowing what to do with himself. It's not like he could just go up to any bot and start talking with them like Jazz. He had tried a few times, and although he had introductions and some small talk figured out fairly well, he couldn't keep the conversation going for the long run. It would eventually sputter out to an awkward silence until either he or the other bot would find somewhere else to be. Prowl did enjoy the times Jazz stayed with him and even introduced some of his other friends, but when more than three or four outgoing bots joined them he just couldn't find his voice in the conversation. At those times Prowl had started to feel more like a burden to Jazz than a friend.<p>

When Jazz did get home that night, he looked and was acting a little over-energized. Nothing serious, just a bit buzzed.

"Hey ya Prowler," he said as he walked over to his roommate and gave him a rather tight hug. "I missed ya t'night, you sh'uda come join the fun! What'ch doin?"

Prowl managed to wriggle out of the hug and sit down in his desk chair. "Just some homework. How was your evening?"

Jazz walked over to where Prowl was and sat on a clear spot on his desk, unintentionally invading Prowl's personal space. "Good, but it wou'da been better with ya there," he paused and seemed to be pondering something. He leaned in closer to Prowl's face, "Hey, have I ever told ya how pretty ya are?"

Prowl looked awkwardly up at Jazz. _Okay, maybe he's more than a bit buzzed, _he thought.

"I think you need some rest, Jazz," Prowl politely got up and went to their small energon storage unit and got one cube out, Jazz following him the whole way, staggering along.

"Nah, I feel fine," just then he tripped and fell into Prowl. Prowl caught him and braced his legs to regain his balance.

"No, you need some recharge. You can't even walk straight."

Jazz, whose helm was on Prowl's chest plating, nuzzled the armor gently. "M'kay, I'll just rest here then. It's warm n' comfy." Jazz let his frame go limp in Prowl's arms, much to Prowl's irritation.

Seeing that he was getting nowhere talking with Jazz, he supported his friend's weight the best he could and walked him over to his recharge bunk, laying Jazz down on it. They would have to switch bunks tonight, since Jazz was in no condition to climb the ladder up to his, and there was no way to safely carry a bot to the upper bunk.

By now Jazz had fallen into recharge, vents softly purring the air through them. It occured to Prowl that it was a bit cute to see Jazz sprawled out on Prowl's bunk like an exhausted sparkling. If he had the initiative, Prowl would have taken a picture for later, but that was something Sunny or Sides would do, not Prowl.

Prowl walked over to the closet and got out an extra blanket, and arranged it carefully over Jazz's frame. He decided he should turn in for the night as well. Turning out the light, he made his way up the ladder to the top bunk and tried his best to settle in. His processor was too anxious to let him recharge well, though. When he did manage to fall into a light recharge, his dreams were filled with his worries about Drift.


	7. An Instant To Change

_Part 7: An Instant To Change_

Prowl stood outside one of the classrooms, patiently waiting for Jazz's class to end. There were a few other bots in the hallway, some reading from datapads, others softly chatting or just daydreaming as they waited for the room of their next class to empty so they could go in. Prowl stood with a datapad in his hand attempting to read one of the assigned chapters for his homework, but caught himself more than once loosing focus on the words and instead thinking about other things. He finally gave up trying to take in the information and subspaced the pad, just as the class was finally dismissed.

"Hey Prowler!" Jazz greeted him with his signature grin. Prowl still wasn't fond of the nickname, but had long since given up trying to convince Jazz to drop it, since it was a losing battle anyway. "You ready?" Jazz's voice, as well as his facial expression, conveyed his excitement for the event to come tonight.

Prowl gave a nod. "Are you sure about this?" The two started walking down the hallway together. "I mean, what if you get hurt? I've heard stories about bots who-"

"Yes, I am sure," Jazz cut in and grinned some more before Prowl could voice his concerns. "It'll be fun! Are you sure you want to stay on the sidelines? You could join us ya know."

"Yeah, but racing isn't really my thing. I'll watch you though."

The Academy was holding races for the first-year bots. It was an idea the Student Social Organization came up with to give the bots more opportunities to meet their peers. Races would go on for the entire weekend, and Jazz, along with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, were all enthusiastic about it. Prowl was excited too - it would give them all an opportunity to hang out and have fun together, outside of a party scene - but he didn't plan on joining any of the races. He didn't see what the big deal was about who was the fastest, and there was at least a little risk of getting injured, even though the Academy was doing all it possibly could to make the races safe. Students who participated had to sign wavers stating they wouldn't pursue monetary compensation if they did get hurt, and that was enough to make Prowl decide against joining.

Prowled increased his pace a bit to keep up with Jazz, who was obviously even more excited than he had initially led on. It was afternoon, and the races didn't begin until later in the evening, but Jazz was in a hurry to get things done before then so they wouldn't be late.

Sunstreaker and Sidewipe were already in Jazz's and Prowl's shared room, waiting for them. They usually ended up in this room since their own was much more of a mess, and hence wasn't a great place for the four of them to meet. The three racers wanted to look their best for the event, and had agreed to give each other a new coat of wax that afternoon.

The twins were seated in the desk chairs. Sideswipe was in the middle of applying wax to Sunstreaker's back, and Sunstreaker was complaining.

"You're going too fast; you're going to miss a spot! I don't want to be humiliated after I win a race because of an obvious dull spot." He crossed his arms in irritation.

Sideswipe rolled his optics and greeted Jazz and Prowl. "Hey guys. Ready to join the fun?"

Jazz grinned. "Sure am! I'm next right?"

Sunstreaker sighed, "Actually, we've just started, so Sideswipe's next. Afthead here lost my wax earlier, and it took us forever to find it. Lucky for him he did find it..."

Sideswipe playfully swung the waxing rag at the back of Sunstreaker's head, and then continued waxing.

Prowl came into the room and sat quietly on his bunk as they spoke, and Jazz leaned on the doorway.

"Aw, seriously?" Jazz asked.

"Yeah, that's why I can't afford to slow down Sunny."

Sunstreaker glared behind him. "_Don't _call me that!"

Jazz looked thoughtful for a moment, then hopped over to where Prowl was sitting on his bunk and joined him.

"Proowwwwl, I have a favor to ask you..." He crooned and leaned up close to Prowl, grinning widely.

Prowl was sure he could feel his optics widen at Jazz's sudden request. "Wh-What would that be?"

Jazz backed off a bit, becoming a bit more serious. At least, as serious as a jovial mech like Jazz could get. "Could you wax me?" He mock pouted.

Prowl wasn't sure what to say. He looked back at Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, who were lost in their own conversational bickering, and then back to Jazz. Waxing, of course, was a perfectly normal social engagement to practice with friends, but the truth was Prowl had never waxed anybot before. He had always gone to parlors to get his own paint waxed, once he was old enough that he no longer wanted his creators performing the job. He'd never really been close enough to anybot for them to ask such a favor.

He knew this was something he shouldn't be nervous about, but he was.

"Uhh..."

Jazz got up and grabbed another clean waxing rag and his own can of wax, then set the things down next to Prowl and sat down with his back to him. "Pease? I really don't want to risk being late to the races!"

Prowl ex-vented in a slow sigh and gave in. "I guess so."

Jazz looked back and grinned at him again. "Thanks buddy! Knew I could count on ya!"

He knew how to wax another bot, of course - in theory. Actually performing the action was going to be much more tasking than watching someone else do it, and the fact that Prowl wasn't used to touching other bots quite like this made him tense. He only hoped he wouldn't screw it up somehow, or make it an awkward situation due to his uneasiness.

Prowl opened the container of wax and set it down beside him, moving closer to Jazz. Dipping the soft rag in the pleasantly fresh smelling wax, he hesitated before deciding to start up near Jazz's left shoulder. Using small circles to spread the wax, he covered a small portion and dipped the rag again, repeating the procedure. He then used the other side of the rag to gently clean the wax off, leaving the paint shiny. Despite how routine the procedure should be, Prowl was still nervous, becoming more so the farther down he was forced to go once the upper portion of Jazz's back was finished. He hoped his nervousness wasn't showing. He was down to the small of Jazz's back now, applying the wax in cautious circles.

"Mmm, right there," Jazz said in a sultry voice and arched lightly into the touch.

Prowl quickly withdrew the rag and froze immediately, and the twins, who had been watching from the corners of their optics, burst out laughing, Jazz joining in as well.

"Relax Prowler, just a joke!" He turned toward Prowl and apologized, "Sorry, I just couldn't resist. You're so tense! Relax, I'm not gonna bite ya."

Prowl initially gritted his denta in frustration at the joke, but found a smile creeping up on his face. Once he started waxing again, it seemed easier after Jazz had made light of the situation.

He finished his back; thankfully Jazz didn't have doorwings, which would have made the task even more difficult; and Jazz turned around to face him - which made Prowl nervous again. Now Jazz could watch his every move, and Prowl felt intimidated once more. But Jazz just casually sat, tapping his fingers lightly against his knees to the beat of the upbeat music Sideswipe had put on for them to help pass the time.

Prowl started with Jazz's shoulders, then his arms. He moved onto his chest and had to focus on the fact that every section he did got him a bit closer to being done – not that he wasn't enjoying this to a certain extent. He recalled times in his past when he was feeling quite lonely and had longed for simple companionship such as this. But he couldn't help but feel Jazz had intended to get a waxing from him all along, and Prowl wasn't sure what his reasons for this were.

Before he knew it he was finished with the rest of the painted areas; arms, legs, and chest. Sideswipe had also finished waxing Sunstreaker, and they switched positions.

"Your turn Prowler!" Jazz smiled as he took the rag and polish and moved them closer to his side of the bed for easier access.

Prowl shook his helm. "Thanks Jazz, but I'm not racing. I don't need another waxing for a while yet," He turned and looked at his doorwings and glanced down at his arms to emphasize his point, but realized that in fact he was in need of a waxing after all. All his time spent studying and working on class projects had led him to neglect his paint – something that wasn't new to Prowl.

"Nonsense," Jazz insisted with a smile, "Turn around and let me shine you up."

With a sigh of defeat Prowl followed Jazz's instructions, and Jazz started applying the wax. "Besides, I can't head off to the races until Sideswipe is done anyway. Might as well spiff you up to return the favor." 

* * *

><p>Prowl enjoyed the new coat of wax that brought his paint to a brilliant sheen. He felt confident as they walked down the pathway towards the location of the races. He was a little suspicious that Jazz spent more time gently rubbing his doorwings that was necessary, but he never rubbed harder than was pleasant, and it was rather relaxing after a while. Jazz was probably just making sure he did a good job. Prowl had been relieved when he finally stopped though – the soft circular motions on his doorwings were beginning to send pleasant little chills throughout his frame.<p>

The area was crowded, to say the least. There had been a huge turnout, probably more than the committee had planned for. There were seven long lines to register for a race, and beyond the lines were bleachers for spectators to watch. The first race was starting, and everyone in the lines and the bleachers hollered and cheered when the engines of the racers revved as they sped off. The main road through campus had been blocked off specifically for the race with yellow barricades, and traffic was detoured to the smaller roads. By the time Jazz, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe had registered and had their racing numbers, it was late in the evening. Another hour and the sun would sink below the horizon, and the large white lights that were scattered throughout campus would illuminate the events. The racing would continue late into the night, only ceasing for the few mandated quiet hours, then would resume early in the morning.

The group of four made their way over to the rows of bleachers and found a place to sit together. Prowl didn't remember ever having so much fun in his life. Even though they sometimes had trouble hearing each other over the racers and the crowd, it was fun just being together in a setting that didn't make him uncomfortable. Prowl learned a few names of the racers too – whenever Jazz or the twins spotted somebot they knew, they would point them out and chatter about how they thought they would place in the race, and compared acceleration times to the competitors.

Periodically, the racers and their respective numbers were called out over a megaphone so they could get gathered in the starting area. Since Jazz and the twins all registered at the same time, and since the order of racers was on a first-come first-serve basis, they got called to the same race. It would be the last race of the night. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe immediately jumped up and made their way down the bleachers when they were called, but Jazz lingered for a moment.

"Be sure to cheer for me, Prowler!" Jazz said over the noise of the crowd, resting an arm across Prowl's shoulders.

"I will. Have fun!" Prowl replied. He didn't mind being left alone in the crowd for one race; he was rather excited to see his friends participate. He expected it would be quite an entertaining race, given that those three were in it.

What he didn't expect was when Jazz leaned close to him and brushed his lips across his cheek in a quick kiss before unwrapping his arm from Prowl's shoulders and turning to head to the starting area.

Prowl was left in a slightly dazed state, not really sure if that had just happened, while watching Jazz recede into the crowd.


	8. Falling

_Part 8: Falling_

Prowl's processor was running a race of its own, preventing him from falling into recharge as he lay in his bunk. The final race of the night had been an entertaining one, with a sporty light blue car Sideswipe later told Prowl was Blurr winning the race, followed by Jazz and several other bots. Ironically, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker tied for last place, as they each seemed to forget the ultimate goal of the race was to go fast and not to try shoving each other off the road in an attempt to eliminate some competition.

After the race, and after the twins seemed to give up on blaming each other for their losses, they decided to go to another club to spend the rest of their evening. Prowl declined, since he had a sparring session with Drift the next morning and wanted to be well rested for it. Jazz hid his disappointment fairly well, but Prowl could tell he had really wanted him to come by the way he hesitated to leave without Prowl.

Unfortunately for Prowl, recharge was not coming to him easily. His spark was still pulsing hard from the kiss from Jazz. What had he meant by it? Was it just a friendly kiss? Or did Jazz want more from their relationship? Prowl's mind was spinning despite how much he wished it to settle down. Several hours later when Jazz quietly entered the room he was still awake, though he feigned recharge so he wouldn't have to worry about confronting Jazz at the moment. He was still very unsure of what to do in this type of situation; and then there was also Drift. What if they _both_ wanted him? What kind of mess would he be in then?

Prowl heard Jazz pause on his way up the bunk ladder, and could almost feel his gaze resting on him. He stayed as still and relaxed in his bunk as he could, still feigning recharge. Jazz sighed softly before finishing the climb and getting comfortable on his bunk, and it wasn't too long before Prowl heard the familiar purring of Jazz's vents signaling that he was in recharge.

* * *

><p>When Prowl did finally manage to recharge that night, his dreams disturbed him. He woke up feeling more exhausted than he felt before recharging, and also more confused. He was glad to get his day started and drank down a cube of energon quickly as Jazz continued to recharge peacefully. He was quietly out the door as soon as the cube was finished off.<p>

Drift had arrived at the gymnasium just a little before Prowl, and was waiting for him in their usual spot. Prowl was looking forward to the session despite his lack of recharge; maybe it would help take his processor off his worries for a while.

They wasted no time getting to it, with Drift attempting a new technique that his instructor had shown him. They would transition between sparring and instruction, where Drift would help Prowl adjust his stance or give advice for how to block him. Prowl couldn't help but notice how soft and careful Drift's touches were when he helped Prowl learn new techniques, guiding his arms and body with his own to help him get the hang of it. He also couldn't ignore when his doorwings were lightly brushed as Drift guided him, though whether or not it was intentional was difficult to tell.

After their sparring session was over, each sat together as usual, downing a cube of energon while their venting intakes returned to normal. They chatted a little, but mostly just shared a comfortable silence.

"Hey, are you busy tonight?" Drift casually asked as Prowl finished off his cube.

Prowl hesitated before answering. "Well, kind of. I was going to see more of the races with Jazz, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Why?"

Drift finished off his energon as well before answering. "I was hoping maybe you and I could hang out together. If you have plans already though that's alright, maybe some other time," he smiled softly.

Although Prowl enjoyed being with his friends, he found himself wanting to spend more time with Drift as well. Neither of them spent much time together other than their sparring sessions and the afternoons after, but here was an opportunity to change that. Trying not to overthink it, Prowl decided to take the opportunity.

"It's okay, I spent the evening with them at the races yesterday. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I didn't go tonight," Prowl said before remembering that Jazz might miss him if he didn't show up. He was still unsure what the kiss Jazz had given him last night indicated, but now was not the time to contemplate it, so he pushed thoughts of his roommate aside for the moment. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

Drift grinned. "There's a place I want to show you. It's kind of far though; we wouldn't be back until after dark. You up for a drive?"

Prowl grinned back a little unsure, but he trusted Drift. "Okay, lead the way."

* * *

><p>It was early evening when they arrived at their destination, and the view was absolutely stunning. The two bots stood upon a great sloping hill, one that turned out to be much taller than Prowl estimated based on the grading of the roadway up to it. The entire drive there must have been a very gradual incline, barely noticeable while enroute but obvious now as they stood on the hill. The vast space before Prowl and Drift was mostly untouched, with natural metallic deposits forming tall randomly shaped pillars with twisting branches that rose toward the sky in all the shades of golden yellow to rusty red. There were crystal deposits that reflected the sunlight and sparkled like stars in the distance; reds, blues, golds and greens. The Academy itself was just another speck in the distance, the far off skyline of the city just beyond it.<p>

Prowl admired the view in awe. "How did you know about this place?"

"Having a secluded spot to come to helps me concentrate and sort my thoughts. The city and campus are both so noisy sometimes. I needed to get away from it all one day, so I just started driving, and ended up here." Drift sat on the ground as he spoke, leaning back on his arms and looking out at the view. Prowl followed suit.

"I know what you mean," Prowl replied. "I grew up in Praxus, so you'd think I'd be used to city noise, but having quiet is nice too. Have you ever been to the Crystal Gardens in Praxus?"

"No, I haven't had the pleasure."

"You should see it someday, I bet you'd like it. I used to go there a lot to unwind. It's the quietest place in Praxus, besides the data libraries." Prowl looked out at the scenery as he spoke, unaware that Drift was no longer looking at the view, but gazing at him.

"What's it like there?" Drift asked after a brief silent moment and casually scooted closer to Prowl, closing some of the distance between them but still leaving adequate personal space.

"It's amazing. You've never seen so many crystals in one place before, and in such a variety of shapes and colors. Sometimes, when conditions are right, you can hear them resonating. It has something to do with the crystals picking up on minute vibrations deep underground; I don't understand it completely, but it's very calming to listen to."

They sat in content silence for a while, enjoying the scenery and the stillness of it all. Eventually Drift moved even closer to Prowl, opting to lean on one arm so he could relax on his side and face Prowl, letting his free arm rest on his own waistline. One of his legs was stretched along the ground while the other was bent lazily at the knee. Whether or not Drift was aware how the position made him look like one of the attractive mechs posing in Jazz's posters in their room, Prowl wasn't sure. Prowl glanced away, suddenly trying to avoid looking at the rather attractive mech beside him.

"Prowl," Drift smiled and shook his head slightly. "Do I really make you that nervous?"

Prowl looked back at Drift, surprised that he had picked up on the subtle change. "Hm? You don't-"

"You're doorwings twitching and shifting up slightly is a sure sign that you're nervous," Drift gently interrupted. "It's not easy to see, but I've learned to spot it. What do you have to be nervous about?" Drift's voice was soft and friendly; almost sultry. He tilted his helm slightly as he asked the question.

Prowl wasn't sure how to begin answering, and his optics flitted this way and that, avoiding the gaze from the white and red racer.

"The restless optics. Your second sign of nervousness." Drift shifted his position again and leaned his face closer to Prowl's. "I promise I won't ever hurt you. You've sparred with me long enough to know that." His voice was getting progressively softer, just above a whisper. Their close proximity called for no more than that to be heard clearly.

Prowl's stare slowly made its way back to Drift, and each held the gaze of the other, their helms mere finger widths apart. His spark and processor raced, but Prowl's expression betrayed none of the excited anxiety he was feeling. As they held the gaze, Drift lifted his hand to Prowl's cheek and gently caressed it. Drift broke the gaze only for a moment to briefly look at Prowl's beautifully shaped lips, and his thumb lightly traced under the bottom lip. Prowl's mouth parted slightly, as if he were trying to form words but had forgotten how to.

Drift whispered, "I'm going to kiss you Prowl. If you don't want me to, you can stop me," his thumb ran delicately over Prowl's bottom lip now, feeling the soft warmth of the living metal, "I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."

Prowl could only give a slight nod in response. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted Drift to kiss him. He wanted to feel the sensation of this stunning mech's lips against his own. He wanted to feel Drift's hands on his frame and his arms around him, their frames pressed together as they explored new territory.

He tilted his helm slightly as Drift slowly closed in, and offlined his optics just before their lips brushed. Drift pressed lightly, subtly caressing Prowl's jawline with his hand as he kissed him. Prowl felt like his spark had burst within his frame, but in the most pleasurable way possible, and everything was moving in slow motion. This was like nothing he had ever experienced before, and he wanted so much more of it.

They kissed for a long while, Drift mostly keeping the pace slow as to not make Prowl uncomfortable. They stroked each other's chassis tentatively, then more confidently. Arms and hands that could be so quick to deliver a defensive punch or strike during their sparring sessions moved carefully now, savoring every touch. Drift's touches were so gentle, yet so stimulating. Prowl briefly wondered if Drift felt the same about the way he was touching him.

Prowl would have liked to continued kissing Drift forever, but eventually Drift withdrew slightly.

"May I touch your doorwings?" He asked in a sultry whisper.

Prowl could only vocalize a breathless "Yes," and the low purr in his own voice surprised him.

Drift began caressing one of Prowl's doorwings, trailing his fingers up along the bottom edge from the base, and chuckled lightly when Prowl keened quietly and offlined his optics, letting his helm relax and tilt back a bit.

"I knew doorwings were sensitive, but didn't expect them to be that sensi-"

Drift was cut off as Prowl resumed their kissing, a bit more heatedly this time. The white and red racer moaned low into the kiss, eventually asking for entrance to Prowl's mouth with his glossa. The two were soon eagerly exploring each other's mouths, Drift taking the more dominant role and encouraging Prowl to be as bold as he wished. Drift continued tracing light circles at the base of Prowl's doorwings with one hand, while the other ventured lower on Prowl's frame to the small of his back, then eventually farther to graze the black and white mech's aft. Prowl whimpered at the touches and pressed himself closer to Drift.

The sun was starting to turn the entire landscape into a canvas of oranges and pinks by the time they slowed their activities and stopped for a break. Drift lay on the ground with one arm resting behind his helm, the other relaxed around Prowl. Prowl leaned his helm on Drift's shoulder, and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he didn't worry about what would happen later, he just savored the moment.


	9. Out in the Open

_Part 9: Out in the Open_

"Hey Prowler, you got a moment?" Jazz asked over his shoulder from where he sat at his desk, attempting to do some of the calculations from one of his classes.

Prowl turned away from his own studying and scooted his chair over next to Jazz's. "Sure, what is it?" He asked politely.

The weekend was coming to an end, and the two bots were in their shared room, both working on their assignments from various classes. Jazz hated doing calculations, but Prowl had volunteered to help tutor him, which Jazz was more than thankful for.

"I'm stuck tryin' to find the derivative of this sequence, how do you-"

A set of frantically approaching pedsteps in the hallway distracted both bots. "_Incoming!"_ Suddenly Sideswipe and Sunstreaker burst into the room and quickly shut the door behind them, making sure to lock it. They sunk down against the wall, venting hard from running.

"That was _way _too close Sunny!"

The yellow bot gave his brother a punch in the shoulder, his typical response for being called "Sunny," but it didn't faze the red twin, who was still venting hard.

"But it was _so _worth it!" Sunstreaker said back. "Shh! Here they come."

The twins went silent as three or maybe four bots ran by in the hallway, completely oblivious that the two they were pursuing were safe within the room.

When they were out of hearing range, Jazz spoke up. "Hey mechs, what exactly is going on?" He asked with curiosity and suspicion in his voice. Prowl just sighed; it would be a while before either of them would get their homework finished now.

"Just messing around with a few of the senior students," Sunstreaker said with a smirk plastered on his face.

Sideswipe's grin was just as big as his brother's. "Hah, I wonder how long it will take them to figure out they lost us."

"It's going to take them forever to wash that purple paint off. They walked right into our trap!"

"Oh no," Jazz shook his helm in amusement, "Not the old 'bucket of paint above the doorway' prank!"

"Oh _yes!_ And we got 'em good!" Sideswipe put his hand up and the twins high-fived. "But just in case they backtrack, we're staying here for a while, kay?"

_Knock knock knock. _All optics in the room looked at the door as someone on the other side knocked politely on it.

"_Scrap!" _The twins both panicked and rushed over to the far side of the room and ducked behind the bunk beds.

Prowl was already getting up to answer the door though – he suspected who it was, and couldn't help but smile to himself.

The twins let out sighs of relief when they saw it was only Drift. "Hey Prowl, oh…and everyone," he looked past Prowl and gave a little wave. To Prowl he said quietly, "I was hoping to catch you alone, there's something I want to ask you. But if you're busy…"

"Oh, no, I'm not busy," Prowl stepped out into the hallway with Drift. "Um, I'll be back in a bit mechs," he said quickly before shutting the door behind him, giving them some privacy in the empty corridor.

"What is it you needed to ask?" Prowl said as he followed Drift, who started leisurely walking to put some distance between the room and themselves.

"Sorry, I hope I didn't embarrass you. I just hate asking things like this in front of an audience. I don't want to put any pressure on you or make you feel like you have to say yes…" he trailed off, then faced Prowl and gently took his hand. "You know there's a dance coming up, right?"

Prowl nodded. He didn't usually pay much attention to events like dances, but it was hard to not know about the upcoming dance, with posters, fliers and advertisements put up all over campus.

"Well," Drift cleared his vocalizer of static, "Would you like to be my date?"

Prowl was taken aback for a moment. He had just been asked to a dance! His spark fluttered with excitement as he looked at Drift, who stood patiently waiting for an answer.

"I…I never really thought anyone would ask me, so of course I'll go." Prowl smiled, but then interjected with a slight panic, "Not that I would go with just anyone, that's not what I meant, I'm just glad that _you_ asked me-"

Drift placed a finger over Prowl's lips to shush him, chuckling as he did so. "It's fine, I know what you meant. And I'm glad you said yes."

The two shared a quiet moment before Drift leaned in and softly pressed his lips to Prowl's, who returned the kiss just as tenderly. It might have lasted a bit longer, had it not been for an unexpected series of shocked gasps and Sideswipe mockingly singing "Drift and Prowl, sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"What the frag's a tree?" Sunstreaker wrinkled his nose at his twin.

"I have _no idea_, but it rhymes with 'G!'" Sideswipe replied and shrugged with amusement.

Prowl and Drift both turned in surprise to see the twins and Jazz peeking out from the room down the hallway.

"Hey, spying is rude you know!" Drift called down the hallway, but his tone didn't contain any real anger. He squeezed Prowl's hand gently as he saw the black and white bot blushing slightly. "So, I'll see you tomorrow morning for our sparring session?"

Prowl nodded. "Yes, I'll see you then," though the truth was Prowl would rather be kissing Drift than sparring with him, but the sparring was fun as well. He was embarrassed by his own thoughts; surely he was thinking of kissing Drift much more than he should be. Drift smiled at him one more time before turning and leaving.

"Cybertron to Prowl!" Prowl snapped out of his thoughts when Sunstreaker waved a hand in front of his face. He had been so immersed in his own thoughts that he didn't realize his friends had walked over and were trying to get his attention.

"Scrap, he's smitten," Sideswipe chortled. "Look at him blush!"

"Ah, leave him be mechs, you're embarrassn' him," Jazz said. Prowl looked to Jazz, who smiled at him, though Prowl wasn't sure if it was natural or forced.

"So when did you two get so close?" Sunstreaker asked as they all headed back into the room.

Prowl gave a shallow shrug and avoided answering.

"Ha, look at 'em, he's bashful about it too!" Sideswipe jeered.

"I am not _bashful,_" Prowl defended, and sighed. "If you must know, Drift and I have training sessions twice a week so he can practice his martial arts. And a few times we've hung out together afterword. He's…he's…"

"Charming and exotic?" Sideswipe offered.

"Aww, stop pickin' on him you two," Jazz sat back on the bottom bunk and lounged with his arms behind his helm. "Prowl, you two are cute together. As long as Drift makes you happy, I'm happy for ya." He smiled, and this time it seemed more genuine. Then he added, "Of course, if he steps outta line and breaks your spark, just say the word and I'll kick his aft for ya."

Prowl sat in his desk chair. "Thanks Jazz, but I don't think you have to worry about that. Drift's not that kind of bot."

Sunstreaker snorted. "You sure about that? I mean, you have only known him a few weeks. And he doesn't live on campus like the rest of us," he shrugged, "who knows what he does with the rest of his week."

Prowl frowned at his friends. "I trust him."

"Maybe, we could help you find out if he deserves that trust," Sideswipe said slowly, as the cogs in his mind started thinking up a plan. "Have you ever given him an unexpected visit?"

"No. I'm not even sure where he lives," Prowl admitted.

"You haven't even been to his place? Has he ever _invited _you to his place?"

Prowl was bewildered. Why were his friends so suspicious of Drift suddenly? "Mechs, I think I can handle my own relationship-"

"Have. You. Been. To. His. Place?" Sideswipe asked again.

"…Not yet."

"Well, maybe it's time we changed that…"


	10. The Plan

_Part 10: The Plan_

"How did the twins find out where Drift lives without asking him?" Prowl lifted an optic ridge in irritation. He did not like this idea one bit; he felt like he was betraying Drift's trust, and that meant risking his relationship with him. He really didn't want to ruin what he had with Drift.

Jazz patted him on the shoulder. "They have their ways. Over the years I've learned the less ya ask them about their sources, the better."

It was two days after Drift had asked Prowl to be his date for the dance, and he and Jazz were walking back to their dorm after a long day of classes. The sun was shining brightly in the early evening sky, pleasantly warming the bots' armor as they strolled. With the cool breeze that wafted every now and again, it was the perfect day – aside from a nagging feeling in Prowl's processor that the twin's plan might not be such a good one.

"Isn't visiting someone uninvited considered rude?"

"Well, it might be under normal circumstances, but you an' Drift are together now, right?"

Prowl nodded.

"So ya should be able to drop by without 'em getting' angry at 'cha. And if he _does_ get angry, you'll know something is up. If he doesn't want ya there, he's probably got something tah hide."

Prowl didn't reply, but he couldn't deny the logic in Jazz's statement either.

"Trust me Prowler, if you're gonna be dating him, you want to know sooner rather than later if he's trustworthy. You're in good hands with me and the twins, we'll make sure this plan works out."

Prowl hoped trusting Jazz and the twins wouldn't cost him the relationship with the bot that he cared about the most.

* * *

><p>"He lives in a frat house, one of the smaller ones on the western border of the campus." Sideswipe pointed to the location on the screen of his datapad. "It's one of the lesser known frats, but they recently made a comeback and are on the rise to popularity again. They house mostly racing type bots. That fast blue racer that beat us in the races a while back-"<p>

"Blurr," Sunstreaker interjected.

"Yeah, Blurr, he lives there too. Word is that Blurr might even be in line to become their next leader, since it's his racing skills that have brought the frat into the light again."

"Hmm, how many bots live there?" Jazz asked.

"Probably around ten, maybe a few more," Sunstreaker answered. " That's good too, because they should all know each other. When we ask for Drift they'll definitely know who we're talking about."

Prowl sat on his bunk. "Do you have the frat's contact information? It couldn't hurt to try calling Drift first-"

"That would ruin the _entire plan!_" Sideswipe wailed. "Seriously Prowl, you need to catch Drift by surprise to know if he's really trustworthy or not. If he knows you're coming, he'll hide anything that's worth hiding, if he has anything to hide."

Prowl frowned. He really didn't like this idea, but he knew his friends had a point.

"Look, it'll be simple Prowler," Jazz sat down next to his friend. "Ya just show up and ask for Drift. Ya don't need to lie or anything, just tell them you're his mech-friend. And see how things go from there." When Prowl still didn't look convinced, he added, "Hey, hopefully it will be just fine an' nothin' unusual will happen. Odds are nothin' will. But this is to find out for sure that Drift isn't just playin' ya."

"Okay, I'll do it," Prowl sighed. He was already sure Drift wasn't "playin'" him, though he did have to admit, he was curious about where Drift lived.

"It's not like you'll be alone either," Sideswipe said. "We'll be your backup in case things do go south."

"Ya ready Prowler?" Jazz grinned wide and jumped up.

"As ready as I'll ever be I guess." Prowl stood as well, and the four bots left the room, locking the door behind them.

Sideswipe grinned and almost skipped down the hallway. "Mission 'Drifting in on Drift' is underway!"

Sunstreaker gave him a punch in the arm for the horrible pun, to which Sideswipe only grinned defiantly.

They walked to one of the highway entrance ramps, transformed and got on the highway. Sunstreaker took the lead as usual, followed by his red twin, Jazz, and Prowl. It didn't take them very long to reach the western edge of campus, where the yellow twin took them onto a smaller road that led to the housing units. As they continued down the road, the loud thumping of bass-heavy music could be heard from one of the houses. There were quite a few other bots on the road, most of which stopped in front of the house with blaring music, transformed and headed inside.

Prowl got a little irritated when Sunstreaker stopped in front of the house as well. "You can stop by and party later if you want, but we're supposed to be finding Drift's frat house."

"This _is _Drift's frat house," he replied pointedly.

"Well, I'll be scrapped!" Jazz exclaimed. "This'll be easier than we thought. We can all go in if it's a party! Be easier to find Drift that way too."

From inside the house, somebot whooped loudly, followed by the sound of an energon cube smashing to bits. The music continued blaring and the tempo picked up as a new song came on.

"Maybe we should come back some other time?" Prowl hopelessly suggested, but the twins and Jazz were already transforming, so he did too.

"And miss out on all the fun?" Jazz said, coming up beside Prowl. "Don't worry, I'll stick with ya Prowler."

At least he wouldn't have to navigate though the crowd alone, but Prowl had a bad feeling about the entire situation.

Mechs and femmes were everywhere, most of them holding cubes of high grade. It was nearly impossible to hear his own thoughts over the music and the voices of the crowd trying to talk over it. Prowl wasn't sure exactly how they could find Drift, even if he was here.

Jazz gently took his hand and helped guide him through the crowd. "Hey, have ya seen a white bot with red accents?" He would ask a random bot every few paces. Most bots shook their helms, others had to ask Jazz to repeat what he said, then answered no as well. After a few minutes Prowl caught a glimpse of Sideswipe and Sunstreaker in the area where bots were dancing, enjoying the obnoxiously loud music and being their usual outgoing selves. They were dancing rather suggestively with a third mech inbetween them, who seemed to be enjoying himself just as much as the twins were.

Jazz continued guiding him through the crowd, and then Prowl saw a bright blue paint job he vaguely recognized out of the corner of his optic. Prowl looked and saw Blurr himself, and he tapped on Jazz's shoulder to get his attention. "Maybe we should ask him," he shouted over the noise.

"Good thinkin' buddy!" The two headed over to where Blurr was sitting on a countertop, sipping on his cube of high grade with a pink femme sitting so close to him she was almost on his lap. She stroked his arm idly, and he put it around her and pulled her even closer, making her giggle. The couple was part of a larger circle of bots who were trying to talk above the music.

"Hi, you're Blurr aren't ya?" Jazz asked as he approached the group.

Blurr rolled his optics. "Yes I am, and no I won't sign anything for you!"

Jazz put on his most charming smile. "Oh, I wasn't here to get your autograph, I just wanted to ask ya a question. Is Drift here? White bot with red accents, about as tall as you are?"

Blurr rolled his optics and leaned over to say something into the femme's audio receptor, and she laughed. Then he turned back to them and said, "Why do you want to know?"

Prowl was anxious to get this over with as soon as possible, so he shouted over the music, "Because we need to find him. Is he here or not?"

Blurr glared at Prowl as he took another slow sip of his high grade. The pink femme cupped her hand around Blurr's audio receptor and said something, and immediately his expression improved as he listened. He nodded to her with a sly grin.

Quickly turning to Jazz and Prowl again, he said, "Drift moved out a couple of weeks ago. Said he didn't like the parties." It was clear he was done talking with them when he swung the grinning femme up into his arms and proceeded carrying her away, making his way toward the stairwell to the upper levels.

Jazz turned to Prowl. "Did ya hear that?"

"Yeah." Since they no longer needed to be there, getting out was the first thing on Prowl's processor. "Can we leave now?"

Prowl saw, but couldn't hear Jazz chuckle. "Yeah Prowl, let's get you back home."

They made their way back through the crowd, wandering this way and that to get through the groups that blocked their path. Prowl caught sight of a pair of athletic mechs kissing rather heatedly and groping each other without restraint in a corner they passed, and his optics widened. He glanced around but no one else seemed to notice or care about the mechs. He was glad Drift didn't live in a place like this. Though, he couldn't yet say for certain that he didn't, but if he moved out because he didn't like the parties he most likely found a better place. Prowl hoped so anyway.

It was dark out when they arrived outside. Prowl took a deep intake of the fresh cool air that greeted them as they walked to the road. Then he asked Jazz, "What about Sunstreaker and Sideswipe?"

"Ah, they'll probably want to stay a while. Don't expect to see them during the day tomorrow either, they'll probably be sleeping off their hangovers."

They got to the road and transformed, Prowl taking the lead this time.

* * *

><p>By the time they got back to the dorm room, Prowl was tired from the long day he'd had. Jazz, on the other hand, was just getting started. He always seemed to be more awake at night than he was during the day.<p>

"So Prowler, wanna watch a movie with me?" He asked as he sat on Prowl's bunk and leaned back on the wall. Prowl used to dislike everyone always using his bunk as a couch when they watched movies, but over the weeks he accepted that it was something he'd just have to live with, though he did make a mental note to try getting the top bunk if he ever had the opportunity to switch with Jazz.

Jazz turned on his entertainment set and used the remote to shuffle through the different files saved on it. "Seems to me ya might like the mystery/drama genre. How about it?"

Prowl shrugged, too tired to find a reason not to agree. "Sure, sounds good. Want a cube?" He asked Jazz as he got himself one from the storage unit.

"Sure." Prowl grabbed another and went over to the bunk, handing Jazz his cube before sitting down.

Try as Prowl did to focus on the movie, all he really wanted to do was recharge. He leaned back on the wall and sighed through his vents.

"You feelin' okay?" Jazz looked at his friend, concern showing through his visor.

"Yes, just a little tired," Prowl said as nonchalantly as he could.

"You're a little disappointed we didn't find Drift tonight though, aren't ya?"

"Well, yes and no. I wanted to see him, but I didn't really want to see him _there_."

"I know what ya mean. Don' worry about it too much, I'm sure we can figure it out tomorrow."

Prowl started for a moment as he realized something. "Jazz, you could have stayed at the party longer if you wanted too. I know you like dancing and music…"

"Yeah, but there are always parties goin' on. I thought I could spend the rest of the evening with you, knowing the twins won't be barging in looking for a safe refuge, ha," Jazz grinned.

Prowl couldn't wrap his mind around this mech. Was Jazz into him, or was he really just this nice to his roommates? And what was that kiss back at the races about?

Prowl knew his judgement may not have been so great right now with how tired he was, but he couldn't help but ask Jazz, "Jazz, do you…do you like me?"

Jazz looked surprised by the question. "Of course I like you Prowler, we're roommates!" He said with a huge smile.

"No, I mean…back at the races, when you kissed me…what was that?"

A slightly pink sheen seemed to show on Jazz's faceplates now, though it might have just been a glare from the entertainment system monitor. "Oh, you mean, do I _like _you?"

Prowl nodded.

There was a hesitation as Jazz chose his words, but eventually he spoke, his voice sounding earnest. "I can't lie to ya Prowler. I…I am attracted to you. You're different from the kind of mechs I've known growing up. But, now you have Drift, and... I just want you to be happy Prowler. I'd be glad to be just your friend if that's all ya want," he hesitated again. "I really didn't expect anything to happen between you and Drift when I introduced you to him that day. It was just for fun. I could see he really was checkin' you out."

"…Do you regret it?"

Jazz looked away. "Hey, like I said Prowler, whatever makes ya happy, makes me happy. Besides, we're only first year students…who knows what might happen down the road."

Prowl nodded slowly. He didn't pursue Jazz for a more solid answer to the question; he guessed Jazz would be too polite to say yes anyway, even though Prowl was pretty sure he did regret it ever so slightly.

Jazz looked back at him, and suddenly smiled. He raised his cube and ceremonially stated, "To friendship! I'm glad to have you as my friend Prowl."

Prowl couldn't help but smile back. He raised his cube and gently tapped it against Jazz's. "To friendship, wherever it may lead."


End file.
